The Eye of the Storm
by kasswrites
Summary: It's storming in Republic City, and Korra ends up getting stuck at Tahno's apartment after a training session. It's going to be harder to resist him than she thought, especially when the power goes out.


_Hi, everyone! So this is my first real Tahorra fic, and I'm excited to be able to finally contribute to the fandom. I don't really have a lot to say, except to clear up that lightning is, indeed, extremely rare in the South Pole. Also, I'm pretty sure they didn't have T-shirts in the 1920s, which is why Korra gets so confused._

___If you want to check out any of my other tahorra stuff, I'm tahnoswife on tumblr :)_

_That said, I hope you guys like it!_

* * *

_**The Eye of the Storm.**_

_**"A revelation in the light of day;  
You can't choose what stays and what fades away..."**_

_**-Florence + the Machine, No Light No Light.**_

Rain was pelting the sidewalks of Republic City, the tense atmosphere and rolling clouds promising a particularly vicious storm. People hurried through the wetness with umbrellas, eager to get back home, and the homeless wandered, trying to find a warm – if only a dry – place to wait it out. The children stuck inside gazed out the windows in wonder, filled with joyful anticipation. Others paid little heed to the darkening sky, too absorbed in their inner worlds to think about the weather outside.

Korra and Tahno happened to be amongst these few.

"I still can't believe they _locked_ the arena." Korra huffed irritably, bending her stream of water through a complicated set of motions. Opposite her, Tahno mirrored the form flawlessly, and their streams moved with practiced synchronization. "Mako and I tried to get in for a quick training session today, but ever since those Equalists grafittied the place, we haven't been able to set one foot inside."

Tahno made an amused noise in the back of his throat.

"What?" Her eyebrows came together, and her bottom lip jutted out ever so slightly. "What's so funny?" Weeks ago, she wouldn't have even entertained the thought of speaking while practicing such a complex waterbending form, but Tahno had turned out to be a surprisingly apt teacher. His principles were much more flexible and modern than those of the traditional waterbending she'd learnt from Sifu Katara, and he understood her weaknesses and strengths.

"Well, I'm just wondering what kind of _training _sessionyou and the firebender were planning on having." Tahno drawled, smirking at her knowingly.

Korra often wondered if he understood her weaknesses and strengths too well.

"It's not like that between us." She said, spitting the words out as if they left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Of course," He corrected himself, "I almost forgot for a moment that it's completely one-sided."

Korra's expression darkened even further, and she shot him a cautionary look. "_Stop_ it." She fumed; annoyed that he thought nothing of bringing up such a sore subject. Mako was in complete denial of his feelings for her, and it was a difficult enough situation without Tahno's so-called wit. As if he knew anything about their relationship.

Tahno turned his focus back to the water he was supposed to be bending and let loose a disappointed sigh; she was usually much more fun to mess with.

"Fine." He let his water drop back into the bucket that had acted as a makeshift reserve for their lesson. It wasn't optimal to be training in Tahno's apartment, but since the arena was off-limits to them, it was pretty much their only option. Korra paid no attention to him, maintaining her lone stream even though the form required a partner. His eyes followed her as she went through the motions, until he noticed a flaw in her technique.

"Here, press pause for a minute." Tahno came up behind Korra in order to correct her stance, placing his hands on her forearms to guide her. She swallowed nervously; it'd been a long day, and her emotions were beginning to get confused.

Although she tried her best to resist it, as he moved his body in sync with hers, Korra's anger toward Tahno began to transform into desire. The sound of the rain faded away from her consciousness, and all she could hear was their breathing, which was slightly labored from bending for so long. She registered just how close his body was to hers, and a shiver ran down her spine. If she just leaned back a little-

_No, Korra! Spirits! What are you _thinking_?_

She tried her best to shake it off and focus on waterbending, but her anger only grew.

She hated it when he did this kind of thing. It could never just be training between the two of them; he constantly felt the need to snipe at her, or make some kind of pass at her, or stare at her with that weird appreciative look in his eyes. And the worst part of it all was that she actually _liked_ it.

Korra sighed internally, totally fed up with it all. These lessons were become less of a training agreement and more of an emotional rollercoaster.

Tahno continued to move her slowly through the form, occasionally correcting an arm movement or a shift in balance, until they came to the section that she had the most trouble with. He sighed, and the caress of his breath on her neck made every nerve of her body hyper aware of his presence. He'd done this kind of thing one too many times today, and she felt her self-control stretching like a rubber band. She needed to leave before it snapped altogether and she did something she'd regret.

It was just as Korra was contemplating this when Tahno inched forward, leaving no space between the front of his body and the back of hers. His intentions were almost totally innocent; he had to get closer in order to teach her the correct upper-body movements. Despite this logic, all thoughts of waterbending suddenly fled from Korra's mind, leaving only the very things she _shouldn't_ be thinking about. Her eyes fluttered closed at the undeniably pleasant feeling of his torso, hard and muscular, pressing against her back.

"Lengthen your right arm," he said, so close to her ear that she could practically feel his lips moving. This was his game: making her want him with a passion that consumed her, and then stepping back for his own viewing pleasure. And Korra knew it. She adamantly tried to convince herself the only thing between them was waterbending, repeating the words in her mind like a mantra.

_He _knows_ what this is doing to me._

Tahno confirmed her suspicions a little later, dropping his left arm from hers to slow the waterbending form. Korra was momentarily confused before she felt his hand slide onto her hip, caressing her through the thin material of her shirt.

_Don't sigh, don't sigh, don't-_

She sighed at his touch, unable to keep it in, and he made a satisfied humming sound that she felt resound throughout her body. His hand started to move upwards, slowly smoothing a path from her hip to the curve of her ribs.

"_Don't,"_ she murmured softly as his hand brushed the underside of her breast, but her voice lacked any real conviction. Usually, the tension was easy to control; the two of them always trained in the gym above the arena, and frequently, there were other teams in the room with them. But being alone with Tahno in his apartment…Korra should have known it'd be trouble right from the second he'd suggested it.

His right hand began to trace along the sensitive skin of her inner arm, making its way toward her chest, and Korra bit her lip to keep in a whimper that wanted to escape from her mouth. She absently wondered where her sane mind had gone, because she had to be completely crazy to give in to him like this.

The second his lips came into contact with her neck, making warmth pool low down in her abdomen, a crashing roll of thunder resounded through the apartment. The startling sound completely sobered Korra, making her jerk away from Tahno with two bright spots on her cheeks. The haze of lust instantly cleared, and she couldn't believe what she'd been doing…what she'd been _thinking._

"I – um, I should…_go_." She said, choosing to look anywhere, _anywhere_ but at his smirking face. He glanced out the window and back to her – they'd been so absorbed in their bending that they hadn't noticed the onslaught of what was now a formidable storm.

"Good luck," he said sarcastically, gesturing to the window with a nod of his head. Korra glanced at the oversize window and gasped, wondering how on earth she'd missed it.

Rain spattered the window in a relentless pattern, and the wind eerily howled, like a lone wolf. When a huge bolt of lightning seemed to split the sky apart, she jumped. They'd had blizzards at the South Pole, of course, but nothing like this, where the whole sky was lit up with fire. Licking her lips nervously, she stared out at the turbulent storm, unable to tear her eyes away.

"What _was_ that?" She asked, hating the fearful tone her voice was adopting. He asked her what she was talking about, his voice betraying his confusion. "The flashing light!" She clarified, perplexed that he seemed to regard it as the most normal thing in the world.

"…Lightning?" He arched a brow as if contemplating whether she was joking or not. Understanding slid into place in Korra's mind, and her expression became thoughtful.

"So _that's_ what natural lightning looks like," She wondered aloud, "Somehow I thought it'd be more…distant."

"You've never seen lightning." His voice was flat, as if he didn't find this particular joke very funny. She shrugged, not knowing what to say.

"…I grew up in the South Pole. We don't have that kind of thi—" She cut herself off with a gasp as another bolt of lightning split its way across the sky, illuminating a mess of heavy grey clouds.

"You okay, Avatar?" Tahno asked, without a shed of concern. She scowled at him; he was probably enjoying this.

"I'm _fine_. Anyway, I need to go. Tenzin will be wondering where I am."

"Are you sure you'll be able to get through _that_?" He pointed to the window, but she wasn't paying him any attention. Without any kind of goodbye, she took off toward the door and flung it open, stomping down the steps with stubborn resolve.

"Yeah, see you later," He said to the silent room, before swinging the door shut after her with a sigh. He kicked the water bucket to the wall as he made his way to the couch, collapsing onto the soft cushions. Squirming around to face the window, he thoughtfully gazed out at the storm, watching the lightning sporadically throw Republic City into dramatic light.

She'd never seen lightning before. For some reason, he couldn't wrap his head around that fact, having grown up with these kinds of storms. And she'd been so…well, scared. He'd never seen her really frightened about anything before, and he didn't like seeing it now.

He continued to watch the storm for another five or so minutes, waiting for her to return, and it was just as the first threads of doubt started creeping into his mind that a loud knock sounded at the door. Of course she'd come back, he thought to himself; there was no _way_ she was going out into the storm, especially not on that mutt of hers. Tahno rose and walked to the door, pulling it open…but in no way was he ready for the sight of what met him on the other side.

His eyes widened as he took in Korra's disheveled appearance. She was completely soaked through from head to toe, the excess water making her clothes cling tightly to her firm body. The contour of her breasts was even more alluring than usual, and he noticed deep ridges in her abdomen, forming a six-pack. None of the girls he'd ever had before had possessed that kind of strength, he mused, which made him wonder how the Avatar would be in bed.

Probably not overly experienced, but fierce and passionate; two emotions that were evident in her expression at that very moment. Her breath was heaving, making her chest rise and fall, and the water droplets on her skin danced over the surface. Tahno absently thought he'd be happy to watch that all night, but she roused him from his thoughts when she began to speak.

"Naga won't budge." She gasped out, breathing as if she'd just been running a marathon. Tahno's traitorous mind began to conjure up different ways he could make her gasp, and he pushed them aside as he felt his pants tightening. "She's spooked by this weather and I'm not going to make her go out in it."

"By all means, _Uh-vatar,"_ He opened the door further, a picture perfect host. "Come inside."

"These things are scary, with the lightning and everything." Korra said as she walked in. "I mean, for Naga. They're scary for Naga." A smirk spread across Tahno's face like melted butter.

"Right. I'm _sure_ you were talking about the—" His face fell when he turned to look at her.

She was working through the stubborn tangles in her hair, her fingers a makeshift comb. He watched her with something like fascination as she slipped the last of the hairbands out, seeming to transform into another person completely.

He'd always found her attractive, of course; who could ignore the shape of her body, or the blue of her eyes? But with her hair out like this, she was…well, she was more beautiful than most of the girls he'd had in this apartment. And _that_ was saying something.

She dried out her hair completely with waterbending, floating the bubble of water to his kitchen sink and popping it with a grin. She shook her hair down her back, and Tahno felt an unfamiliar twinge in his stomach, like something was fluttering in there.

"What?" She asked, finally addressing the weird look he was giving her. She began to waterbend the water from her clothes, sighing with relief as she became comfortably dry once again.

"You just look—"

"Like a drowned fire-ferret, _I know_. You don't have to point it out."

He raised his hands in defense, filing the strange feelings to the back of his brain, where he didn't have to think about them. Korra only rolled her eyes, tying her hair back up into its usual three ponytails.

"Can I use your phone? I need to call Tenzin, let him know I'm here." She had the earpiece in her hand, and was dialing out a number, before she even finished her question.

"Go right ahead…" Tahno mumbled under his breath, retreating back to the couch. He flopped down onto the cushions again as she finished dialing.

"How long do these things usually last, anyway?" She asked absently, wondering how long it would be before she could get home.

"This one should be over by morning." He estimated, eyeing the storm in question.

"_By morning?!"_ Korra shouted, holding the ear piece away from her ear. "_I can't stay here until_ – oh, hey, Tenzin." Tahno chuckled, lying back on the couch with his hands behind his head. "No, well, you see…I'm actually stuck at Tahno's. Tahno. Yeah. Naga won't—yes, I know. _I know,_ but I can't exactly change the weather. Tenzin, I didn't—well, uh…I don't know. I guess I'm going to have to wait it out. I mean, what else can I do? He said that, yeah."

Tahno rolled his eyes at the broken conversation, understanding next to none of it. His ears perked up at what she said next, however. "I guess…I'm just going to have to ask him if I can stay the night." She'd lowered the volume of her voice to a whisper, but she was so naturally loud that it wasn't at all difficult to hear her, especially in such a quiet room. "I _know, _I just—no, it isn't like that. Not at all! And even if it were, it wouldn't be any of your business. Tenzin, I'm not your child!"

_She's so stubborn. _Tahno twirled his hair around his finger and listened as she bade her mentor a civil, if slightly cold, goodbye. He wondered if her characteristically Fire Nation temper had anything to do with the fact that she was the Avatar. She _was_ all of the elements rolled into one, wasn't she? The phone made a sharp _click_, but he remained where he was, waiting for her to make the first move.

"Um…so, Tahno. I was wondering, because of the storm, could I maybe sleep on your couch or something?" It was painfully awkward to ask, and she was thankful he wasn't facing her.

"You can sleep in my bed." He offered, mentioning it as casually as he would, had he been giving her directions to where the tea-kettle was. His finger was still twirling around his hair, making him seem completely uninterested.

Korra scoffed indignantly. "I'm _so_ sure. You'd love that, wouldn't you?" Tahno halted his hair twirling and turned to face her, his face expressionless.

"I have _some _ethics, Avatar_. I'll_ take the couch." Korra was confused at the gesture; chivalrous as it was, it just wasn't something she would have expected from Tahno.

"Uh, okay…" She said awkwardly, unsure what to say to fill the silence. "I'm gonna go check on Naga. Make sure she's got suitable shelter and everything." Tahno nodded as if he didn't care either way, and Korra made her way towards the door, rubbing the back of her neck. As soon as it clicked behind her, Tahno's face spread out into a grin. He laid back on the couch again and crossed one leg over the other, his hands behind his head.

_Well, this should be fun._

…

"Whatcha reading?" Korra asked, her voice loud in the awkwardly silent room. Tahno resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and looked up to see her swinging her legs in the armchair across from him.

"A book."

"Ohhhhh, I get it." She grinned. "It's one of those trashy _romance_ novels, isn't it?" Tahno raised an eyebrow.

"Why, is that your favorite genre?" His gaze slowly roamed over her body, irritating her. "…And no. Unlike some people," his expression turned haughty, "I get my thrills elsewhere."

"I don't read books like that." Korra pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "There are things in life besides sex."

"There are, but they're not _half_ as fun." He grinned at her wolfishly, and she rolled her eyes, remaining unimpressed. "Maybe if you actually got some, you'd understand." He mused, turning back to his book. Korra felt a flush spreading over her face, and her eyebrows drew together in a scowl.

"I-ugh, that's – my sex life is _none_ of your business!" She spluttered, beyond embarrassed.

"It _could_ be, if you'd loosen up." He muttered absently, just loudly enough for her to hear. Korra felt herself growing even redder and shot up from her chair, intent on storming out the door.

"This was a bad idea. I'm leaving." She started to make her way to the door, but paused when a clap of thunder assailed her ears. In an instant, her anger at his derisive comments became fear at the storm outside. She glanced at Tahno, eyes wide, and suddenly the lights flickered. A heavy feeling crept up on him as she shivered, and he had to tamp down the urge to put his arms around her.

"Tahno?" She asked, working hard to keep the alarm out of her voice, but failing miserably. He opened his mouth to answer her, but with a resolute _click_, the lights went out altogether. The room was pitched into darkness, and it only made Korra feel worse.

"Aw, fuck." Tahno muttered under his breath, dreading the task of fumbling around for spark rocks in the dark. It'd be near impossible to get anything lit without any light to begin with.

Suddenly, a soft glow illuminated the room, casting long shadows on the wall ahead of him. Tahno glanced around in confusion to find Korra holding a large fireball in her hand, and mentally kicked himself for his stupidity. To be fair, he'd never actually _seen_ her firebend before, but that didn't mean forgetting that she _could_ wasn't idiotic. Wasn't he always calling her _Uh-vatar?_

"Is there…anything I can light?" She asked apprehensively, her voice holding on to a trace of fear. "It's kind of uncomfortable to hold it for too long." Tahno was transfixed with the shadows the flame created on her face. There was something about fire that stirred up emotion in him, something…soft and calming. He felt another twinge in his stomach, and he shook his head to clear it.

"I have candles in the bedroom." He stood up and motioned with a nod of his head for her to follow him. She did so uneasily, nervous with the thought of being alone with him in his bedroom. As much as she convinced herself nothing was going to happen between them, she couldn't take too many precautions. Circumstances were different when they were isolated from the rest of the world like this, and she feared that her usual discipline would begin to falter under his persuasion.

He pushed the door open, and Korra couldn't help but look around curiously. His bedroom was neat and minimalistic, almost like her room at Air Temple Island. The furnishings in Tahno's bedroom were much more luxurious, though, and Korra didn't doubt that each piece of furniture had cost tens of thousands of Yuan. An unmade bed, suggestive in its large size, was the main focus of the room, jutting out from the center of the opposite wall. The rest of the furniture – a bedside table, a closet, a bookcase, and a desk – was white and neat. All in all, it was quite a tasteful room, but Korra wouldn't have expected anything less from the style queen of pro-bending.

"There's a shelf of candles in each of the corners," Tahno said, rousing her from her inner critique of the room. He gestured to his right, and Korra spotted a small shelf in the corner, housing several candles. She pivoted in a slow circle, finding an identical shelf in each direction.

"Why do you have so many candles in your bedroom?" She asked curiously, turning back toward him quickly. She blinked in surprise when they came face to face, not realizing how close she'd moved; their bodies were mere inches apart, and he was looking down at her with a slight smirk, reminding her of the night they'd met.

"Why do you think?" He muttered, his tone light. Korra frowned up at him, her thoughts beginning to travel down a dangerous path. Then the meaning of his sentence clicked into place, and she wondered how many other women he'd brought to his bedroom and stood so close to.

"Oh." She took a step back from him, and turned to the candles again, sizing up the situation. In a maneuver she'd always enjoyed practicing during her firebending training, she turned in a circle, shooting multiple sparks from her fingers. She'd nicknamed it 'lighting the lanterns' as a child, and it was a complicated trick she hardly ever had the circumstance to practice anymore. When the room was aglow with soft light, she turned back to face Tahno again, who was giving her a look she couldn't decipher. It was almost identical to the way he'd looked at her when she'd taken her hair out, and it discomfited Korra a little.

"What?" She asked, rubbing the back of her neck again. As if suddenly roused from a daze, Tahno just blinked at her, shaking his head slightly.

"It's just…sometimes I forget." His expression closed off, and it was clear whatever he'd meant wasn't up to discussion, but Korra asked anyway because she wanted to know.

"Forget what?" His only answer was to push past her, and lazily throw himself down on the bed. "Tahno?" She was itching to know why he'd been looking at her like that, and she wasn't even sure why she wanted to know so badly. Tahno remained silent, and she sighed at his lack of response beore changing the subject. "I thought _I_ was supposed to be taking the bed." It wasn't quite time to start thinking about sleep yet, but she didn't want things to get awkward later.

"You're welcome to join me if you want." He raised an eyebrow at her, leisurely placing his hands behind his head.

"I don't think so."

"Why not? Scared you won't be able to keep your hands to yourself?" He knew exactly which buttons he was pressing, and Korra glared at him hostilely. "Well, I can understand that. It's hard for some people to control their sexual frustration."

"Ugh!" Korra growled, stomping over to the other side of the bed with an angry resolve to prove him wrong. She sat on the bed before swinging her legs up, positioning herself on her side with one hand supporting her head. Triumphantly raising her eyebrows at him, as if to say_ there, told you, _she began to kick her boots off.

"Very nice." Tahno said derisively, "You have a burning desire to prove yourself."

"I have a burning desire for you to shut the hell up," she muttered, falling onto her back with yet another sigh.

"Hmm? A burning desire for me?" She turned her head toward him to give him an extremely sarcastic look, and his trademark smirk appeared.

They became quiet for a while, and Korra stared at the ceiling, wondering if it was going to be awkward when she woke up in his bed. Her eyebrows came together, and Tahno glanced at her, hiding an affectionate smile.

He would never admit it, even to himself, but he was honestly enjoying her company. Most people either hated him with a passion, or idolized him like a God, and it was refreshing to be able to have normal conversation with someone. Even if she did hate him just a little bit.

"Well, I'll certainly have fun telling the boys that the _Uh-vatar _graced my bed." He announced, rousing her from her thoughts. Korra rolled back onto her side to face him, her eyes reproachful.

"You wouldn't." He raised his eyebrows in response, which he seemed to do a lot of, and she frowned. "Tahno," she said seriously, "You know my reputation can't handle rumors right now." It wasn't something she liked to think about, but a lot of people in Republic City disapproved of what she was doing about the whole Equalist fiasco. She liked to blame her actions on her age, but then she'd remember that Aang was only twelve when he stopped the hundred-year war, and become discouraged all over again.

He sighed, "I was _kidding_. Don't get all serious on me." Korra scooted up the bed so that her back was against the headboard, and hugged her knees to her chest, a little lost in her thoughts. "Well," Tahno reconsidered, "You can be _on_ me, just not when you're serious." He winked at her and she ignored it, restlessly stretching her legs back out in front of her.

"Do you always have to twist words like that? I have no interest in being _on_ you, Wolfbat."

"Oh, Really?" Tahno purred, sounding faintly amused. Korra frowned as he sat back on his knees, smirking at her.

"What are you doing?" she asked warily. Instead of answering her, he leaned forward, placing an arm on either side of her body. She shrank back against the headboard, but he came closer still, so that their faces were inches apart. Her breath took on a slightly ragged quality as her heartbeat sped up, and she miserably attempted to convince herself it was due to fear of the storm. "Tahno, _don't_." She swallowed, unsure if she even meant it or not. He glanced down at her lips, before lazily trailing his gaze back up to her startlingly blue eyes.

"Why?" He drawled, "So you can go back to pretending you don't feel this?" Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and she didn't know what she wanted more: for him to kiss her or to just go away. It took everything she had not to close her eyes at the pleasure when she felt his hand on her thigh, leisurely smoothing higher and higher…

"Please," she murmured, though she wasn't sure if she was inviting him in or asking him to stop. She just knew she couldn't handle this teasing for much longer.

"Please _what_, Avatar? Tell me what you want." He demanded, his hand suddenly teasing at the apex of her thighs. Korra's eyes flew open and she tensed up in shock. She blurted out the first thing that entered her mind:

"I can't…I need to get to sleep." Heat spread over her face, and Tahno noted the red tinge with sinking disappointment. She _wanted_ him; her body told him all he needed to know. She just wouldn't admit it to herself, hung up on principles or something equally boring.

He retreated reluctantly, sitting back on his knees. Meanwhile, Korra fidgeted nervously, smoothing her hair behind her ears and brushing her clothes down, as if to erase what had just happened.

"Whatever," Tahno said, a note of finality to his tone, "There are shirts in the closet if you need to change." He stood to leave, and Korra couldn't make sense of all the emotions swirling through her mind. "'Night," He turned to smugly rake his gaze over her body once more, stirring back up feelings she'd just gained control over, and placing red spots on her cheeks.

"Goodnight," Korra mumbled, looking off to the side to avoid his gaze, lest she leave her self-control behind and literally throw herself at him.

As soon as he closed the door behind him, Korra let out a deep breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. She rolled over onto her stomach, burying her face in the pillows, and resisted the very strong urge to scream with frustration.

She was so torn; she _ached_ for the feeling of him; the caress of his skillful hands, the feeling of his breath, hot against her neck. Her body began to relax as she thought about the wall of muscles protecting his chest, his abdomen, his-

Korra rolled over, sucking in a breath and shutting out the traitorous thoughts from her mind.

The problem with all of her lust was that she also had a reputation, and a considerable amount of pride to think about. What if he was just playing games with her, testing how far he could take her until she became weak and gave in to him?

_I bet he doesn't even want me,_ Korra thought to herself, crossing her arms over her chest. She was actually surprised at how disappointed she felt when she thought about it. After stewing in her emotions for a few minutes more, she cracked.

"Ugh!" she growled, pushing herself from the bed. "Why should I _care_?" If she'd been outside, she probably would have released a punch of fire in her fury. Instead, she settled for angrily stripping off her shirt, throwing it to the ground. The fabric made an anticlimactic crumpling sound, but it made her feel better to give her hands something to do, so she pulled her pants and waist cape off and threw them in the same pile.

Opening Tahno's closet was like stepping into a designer boutique; it overflowed with expensive fabrics, tailored coats, and every kind of belt one could think of owning. It was so perfect that Korra was almost hesitant to touch anything, in case she messed up its pristine order. Eyeing a set of drawers to the left, she pulled the top one open and blushed when she realized it was underwear. She slammed it shut quickly, and tried the next draw down.

Grey fabric caught her eye, and she took out a shirt that was unlike anything she'd seen before – the sleeves were short, making a 'T' shape, and it had a _Wolfbats_ logo embroidered across the chest. She shrugged; she was only going to be sleeping in it, and she didn't want to go trying every one of his shirts on.

When she slipped it over her head, she was overwhelmed with the smell of him; that mixture of natural scent and expensive aftershave that seemed to always slip beneath her defenses.

_I am not attracted to him. No, no, no, no, no._

After taking a moment to gather herself, she checked the mirror that was conveniently placed on the inside of the closet door, and cocked a brow at her own reflection. The shirt hit her a little higher than mid-thigh, only just covering everything that ought to be covered, and it made her breasts look even larger than usual. She rolled her eyes. _I'm never going to be able to hide these things under anything._

Korra began to release her hair from its ponytails, raking her hands through the slightly tangled curls that fell down her back. Sighing, she closed the closet doors and bent to gather her clothes, folding them into a neat pile and laying them beside the bed.

Now there was nothing left to distract her from going to sleep.

Korra turned down the covers of one side of the vast bed and climbed in beneath the sheets, lying on her back. Usually, she loved moments like this, when she got to be alone with her mind and just mull things over, but tonight she wasn't patient enough to sift through her thoughts leisurely. She was plagued with thoughts of Tahno's voice, or his smirk, or the weird expression he got on his face when she refused his advances. Encouraged by their peers, her thoughts began to turn to much less innocent subjects, bringing up how it had felt for his hand to caress her thigh, or how she'd had to bite her lip when his fingers grazed her breast to keep herself from reacting.

_I'm in Tahno's _bed_._

For reasons beyond her comprehension, this was a massive turn-on. This was where he slept, every night. This was where he…_well_…

Her breathing became heavy.

Unbidden, her hand began to smooth up her torso, bunching the fabric of the shirt and pushing it up to her waist. When her hand reached her breast, she felt only her bindings and rolled her eyes at her own idiocy, her bubble of lust quickly bursting. Sitting up, she fumbled with the fabric, not wanting to take the shirt off. Eventually, she unraveled the bandages, throwing them on top of the rest of her clothes with no small amount of irritation.

Korra lay back, staring at the ceiling, and tried to get in the mood again by trailing her fingers up the inside of her thigh, just as Tahno had done. She closed her eyes, imagining his face as he'd leaned over her and-

It was no use; she needed some kind of release from the tension that had been building all day, but she wasn't going about it the right way. Her mind clung to that phrase and began to suggest to her just what the _right way_ would entail, and Korra rolled onto her side, trying to block out all images of opening the door and walking over to Tahno…

_Enough!_ She sat up in bed, unable to calm herself down. The ambience that the candles afforded wasn't helping her in the slightest; if anything, she only felt more flustered by their heat. Climbing out of bed and perching on the edge of the mattress, she dejectedly put her face in her hands. Conflicting emotions swirled in the forefront of her mind, and she'd never been more confused.

_Tahno. This is Tahno you're thinking about; what would everyone think if they found out that you're even _considering_ going out there?_ She raised her head to look out the window, at the tumultuous storm that mirrored the one within her mind.

_It's not a good idea, Korra._

Gazing out at the storm, she started to understand the feeling that had been niggling at the edge of her consciousness ever since she'd first noticed the rain. She felt alone; separated from the rest of the world. It wasn't exactly an unfamiliar feeling for Korra; being the Avatar was an incredibly isolating birthright, after all. But she realized just how cut off from the rest of the world the violent storm made her feel, and although she knew there were other people out there, she felt like the only world that was real was the one inside this apartment.

And there was no reason to feel alone when there was somebody with her.

_Tahno_.

She whispered his name, repeating it over and over, loving the way it rolled off her tongue.

It was like they were in a little world of their own. Korra knew this was a temporary thing; everything would go back to normal when the weather did, but for that night, the rules of normal life just didn't seem to apply.

It was this realization that made Korra's decision for her, and she took a good deep breath before standing up, walking forward and opening the door.

She swallowed when her eyes fell upon him, his skin softly illuminated by a lantern that he must have somehow lit himself. He was reclining on the couch, his eyes focused on a book he held close to his face and his lap covered by a blanket. Korra didn't bother to hide her gaze as it swept over the flat planes and bulging muscles that formed his bare chest. She'd never seen him shirtless before, except a slight peek when his tunic rode up, and the full effect was doing things to her body that she didn't want to think about. Suddenly, as if noticing the extra light spilling into the room, Tahno's gaze flicked straight to Korra's, giving her no time at all to prepare for the feelings she felt well up.

Instead of blushing, or looking away, the coping methods she'd become accustomed to lately, she simply held his gaze with wide eyes. There was something incredibly intimate in the way they looked at each other; more intimate than any kind of physical touch, and Korra almost shied away from it. Tahno's gaze was the first to drop, reminding Korra that her legs were out on full display in his strange shirt. As he took in her appearance, his hand drifted to his lap, loosening its grip on the book.

He almost didn't believe his eyes.

Her hair was loose again, spilling over her shoulders and making his fingers itch to see if it was as soft as it looked. Her toned, dark bronze legs were indescribably sexy, and Tahno felt himself growing hard at the sight of her in his _Wolfbats_ shirt. She began to walk toward the kitchen, another doubtful thought entering her mind, and Tahno swallowed.

"Nice shirt," He said, smirking to make up for how vulnerable he must have looked. Korra gave a small smile as she hoisted herself up onto the island counter, crossing one leg over the other.

"Thanks. You couldn't sleep either?" She gestured to his book, and he looked down, as if just remembering that it was there.

"Hmm. I wanted to finish the chapter I was reading after I was rudely _interrupted_ today." Korra rolled her eyes, trying not to let her nerves get to her.

"_Please_. Like it even has a plot." Forgetting that she wasn't wearing pants, Korra nervously rearranged her legs, placing the left over the right. The shirt rode up, almost exposing her underwear, and she hastily pulled it down again, wondering why she always had to make such an idiot of herself.

When she looked up again, Tahno's gaze had hardened with hunger, all traces of playful banter forgotten. She swallowed because she wasn't ready for this, and she was making a mistake coming out here in the first place, and all she wanted to do was run home and cry her stupid emotions away. Restlessly, she fidgeted her legs again, sitting with them parallel instead of crossed.

Try as he might to resist her body, Tahno could stand it no longer. His eyes didn't stray from Korra while he rose from the couch, pushing the blanket away. Her own gaze warned him as he prowled toward her with animalistic hunger in his eyes, but she said nothing until he came to stand right in front of her.

Korra's stomach was doing backflips at the way he was looking at her, and she tried one last time to refuse what she wanted with every fiber of her being. "Stop." Her voice had more conviction than she'd thought she could muster, but it didn't stop him from coming closer. She bit her lip.

He slowly nudged her knees apart with his hands, meeting little resistance, before stopping between her legs. "Tahno…" She almost pleaded, warring with herself. He inched closer still, pressing himself against her as she sat on the counter, and she realized just how much she was affecting him. "No," Korra said, but it sounded much more like a moan than it did a word. His face was inches from hers as he spoke.

"I'm not going to stop," he purred in as sensual a voice she'd ever heard him use, "Until you actually mean it."

And that was it.

Korra didn't know what the breaking point was; perhaps it was his tone of voice; his expression; the feeling of him pressing against her. Regardless, her self-control, which had been stretching and stretching with every advance he'd made over the last month or so, simply snapped.

Her hands shot around the back of Tahno's neck to bring his lips down to hers, and she wanted to sigh at the feeling of _finally_ letting go and listening to her emotions. She kissed him with all of the passion, fervor, and longing that pulsed through her veins, and he responded with an urgency of his own, pressing their bodies together in an intimate embrace. His tongue traced lightly over her bottom lip, making her shiver, before it slid into her mouth. It was like she _needed_ him to keep touching her; if he pulled away right then, she didn't think she'd be able to cope. Tilting her head back to grant him better access, their tongues came together, as if battling for dominance in the kiss.

So that was how it was going to be.

The same old power struggle they'd been tipping since the night they first met. Their personalities had always clashed like the antlers of two brawling arctic deer, and neither of them was humble enough to accept defeat. Tahno almost laughed when he thought about what he was in for.

The rain continued to fiercely pelt at the window, and the occasional roll of thunder sounded in the distance, but they were so absorbed in each others' bodies that it became merely background noise to their gasps and moans.

Korra's eyes screwed shut with pleasure as one of his hands came to her breast, kneading it skillfully with his palm. He teased her between his fingers, and she gripped him tight with her thighs in retaliation, winding her legs around his narrow hips. Her heat pressed into him, and all he wanted in that moment was to hear her scream his name.

Capturing his bottom lip in her teeth mid-kiss, she bit down just hard enough to cause pain before releasing it again. He groaned into her mouth and kissed her with a passion she'd never even thought possible, his hips rolling to grind against her.

His body warmed hers where they touched, and she felt her heartbeat race as his lips came away from her mouth, leisurely placing kisses against her cheek, her jaw, and finally her neck. Instinctively, Korra's hips started to rock against his, and the sensation felt so good that Tahno lightly entertained the thought of just ripping aside her underwear and slamming into her. Her hands moved from his neck to tangle in his hair, feeling the soft strands slip between her fingers.

_Yue, was she glad she hadn't stayed in bed._

She let loose a shuddering moan as his teeth nipped at her throat, and Tahno almost tipped over the edge at the sound. Panting against her neck, he willed his body to slow down; he wasn't sixteen any more, however much she made him feel like it. He retraced his path up her neck again, making his way up to her earlobe, which he gently bit down on. Tahno's name fell from her lips, and he pulled back to look at her.

Her eyes were half-lidded with lust, her hair a mess, and Tahno didn't think he'd ever seen a sexier sight. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow, as if to ask him what he planned on doing next, and a smirk appeared on his face, making her the slightest bit apprehensive.

Tahno's hands came to the hem of her shirt, peeling it up her torso, over her shoulders, and finally dropping it to the floor. He became harder – if that was even possible – at the sight of her bare shoulders and breasts, letting out a groan that put a satisfied smirk on her face.

"See something you like, Wolfbat?" She settled herself back on her arms, making her breasts stand out, and Tahno wanted to take her right then and there. He reminded himself he couldn't do that until he wiped that smirk off of her face.

He laughed at her question as his lips came to her shoulder, kissing his way painstakingly slowly down her torso. Placing his hands on the small of her back to arch her forward, he forged a hot path between her breasts, before making her stomach muscles tense as his tongue tickled over her skin. After pausing for a moment to let his tongue circle her navel, eliciting a groan from her, his lips continued to travel lower and lower.

Korra's smirk began to falter as he knelt before her, and heat crept up onto her cheeks. After placing a tormenting kiss just above the waistband, he picked up the top of her underwear between his teeth. Her face grew hotter as she tried to maintain her smirk because _damn it,_ she wanted to be the one who kept her cool, but a mixture of insanely strong lust and embarrassment at him seeing her naked ruined it. She lifted herself up with her arms to aid him as he started dragging her last piece of clothing away, leaving her feeling more exposed than she should have. Slowly and infuriatingly steady, he tugged them down her thighs, his smug gaze unerring. As soon as he reached her knees, his teeth let go, and he looked up at her naked body with a smirk. Korra plastered her own smirk back onto her face, trying not to let him know how much he was affecting her.

"Spread your legs." Tahno commanded, noting that she'd been slowly drawing them together, for reasons beyond his comprehension. Since she didn't seem about to do it, he took matters into his own hands and pushed them apart, slowly trailing kisses up the inside of her left thigh. He felt her legs quivering beneath his touch, and he nipped the sensitive skin with his teeth, just to push her boundaries. His hands slid underneath her thighs and he jerked her forward, smearing wetness on the counter and making her gasp. After shooting her one last smirk to remind her who was in charge, his mouth found its destination.

"Tahno-_oh."_ Korra gasped, her body writhing beneath his expert touch. Her pathetically maintained smile slipped as she arched her back in pleasure, and she could feel her whole body humming.

If she'd thought he was skilled with his tongue while kissing, well…this was a whole other level of skill. Bracing herself with a hand on the edge of the counter, she wound the other through the dark hair on the back of his head, steadying him. He continued to assault her with his lips and tongue, driving her closer and closer to the edge, and she couldn't hush the mewling sounds that were escaping her mouth. She threw her head back when felt his fingers join his mouth, finding a spot of pure ecstasy she'd never even known_ existed_, and torturing it relentlessly. When she was so close that she could almost feel the waves lapping through her body, she moaned, _"No more."_

Tahno's grey eyes met hers, and he gave her the most satisfied smile she'd ever seen, before pointedly continuing, flicking his tongue.

She grinded her teeth because _she hated him-hated him-hated him-_

It took him only seconds more to drive her to a staggering climax, and just as she began to fall, he inserted two fingers into her, feeling her tighten and throb around him. Korra threw her head back and let out a trembling moan, trying to hold on to the feeling, before crumpling forward with only her hands to support her. She rode out the last few waves, moaning quietly, and Tahno gently removed himself from the situation. Her breathing was labored as she slowly straightened up, glaring vehemently at his stupid face. He brought the back of his hand to his face to wipe the wetness from his mouth and grinned up at her in response, knowing just what he'd put her through.

"You taste good, _Uh-vatar."_ His voice held a certain amount of humor as he sat back on his haunches.

"I…_hate_…you." Korra gasped, between labored breaths that showed no sign of slowing.

"Yeah," His smirk didn't fade, "You made that crystal clear while you were screaming my name."

It took Korra less than a second's time to gather the water from the training bucket, forming an orb above Tahno's unsuspecting head, before suddenly letting it go. It splashed over his head, and he spluttered angrily, his hair and face drenched.

"Wha—"

"That's a good look for you." Korra said smugly, crossing her arms across her ample bust and holding back a laugh. He glared up at her, and she thought she heard a low growl coming from his throat.

"You know I'll get you back for that." He promised, bending the water from himself.

"Oh?" She asked cynically as he straightened up, "And how do you plan on doing that?"

He gave no answer but to take her chin in his hand and force his mouth upon hers. His kiss was bruising, and the Avatar's body was pliant beneath his touch. He bit at her bottom lip, none too gently, and bucked his hips into hers as if clothes didn't inhibit them.

Korra's hands wandered down to begin pushing at the sweatpants on his hips, and Tahno soberly stepped back, removing her hands from his body. Her eyes were wild and her breath was heaving, but she met him with a steady blue gaze, her eyes holding a challenge. He smoothed the hair he loved so much away from her forehead, and for what seemed like the first time that night, his face was completely smirk-free.

"We can go into the bedroom." He suggested quietly. Having sex on a kitchen counter just didn't seem worthy of the Avatar. More importantly, it didn't seem worthy of Korra. But she just ran her tongue along the dip his teeth had made in her lip and shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. "Fine." He shrugged, "Have it your way."

He kissed her again, but the urgency and fierce need had been taken down a notch, as if he'd just realized he had hours instead of minutes. Korra shook at the thought, and tried to ignore the shiver sliding up her spine. As much as she wanted it to go on forever, she didn't know how much longer she was going to last. He trailed a fluttering touch over her leg, and she pressed herself against him in frustration. He was driving her insane, and she couldn't understand how he was able to hold out for so long.

Tahno chuckled and pulled back a little, his grey eyes sober. "Eager?" His fingers continued to trace enticing patterns on her leg.

"Don't play that game with me."

"Isn't that all we ever do?"

"It's all _you_ ever do." She answered, because it honestly was; during training, during flirting, and apparently during this, too. Well, she was sick and tired of him catching her off-guard. Fortunately for her, he wasn't focused on what she was doing with her hands, so when one dipped below the waistband of his pants all of a sudden, his face fell as fast. Feeling triumphant at his expression, Korra put her hand to work with surprising expertise, dragging a moan from him.

"Avatar," He hissed, trying to make it sound like a warning. With his hooded eyes and tone of voice, it was a complete joke to her. "Stop it."

"I don't think I will." Korra said smugly, feeling almost giddy at finally having the upper hand, so to speak. It took a great amount of strength, but Tahno's hand eventually grabbed Korra's wrist, halting her. The air became thick again as they stared at each other, their eyes speaking volumes.

And then they were kissing again, fiercely, Korra's hands forcing the last of Tahno's clothing over his hips. He stepped out of the rumpled fabric without halting the kiss, and his hands slid across her back. They were coming to the last few moments now, the moment to turn away, the final save point before everything irrevocably changed. Her body was quivering with anticipation, and he pulled away to look at her.

"If you're going to ask me if I'm _sure_, I'll kill you."

He made an amused noise in his throat before burning every bridge of pretense, thrusting up into her.

They groaned in unison at the sensation, and Tahno's teeth sunk into Korra's neck, sucking at her soft skin to distract himself from how wet and tight she was.

Korra sighed breathily. All of the impatience and anticipation that had tensed her muscles faded away, and she was left with the sheer feeling of him inside her. Their bodies clung to one another's as he settled into a rhythm, Korra's fingernails digging into his back. She gasped in his delicious scent and wished he'd never stop touching her.

Her hips rocked in time with his, and she marveled at how perfectly their bodies seemed to fit together, like long-lost pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. His mouth began to explore her breasts, and she felt herself tighten around him. It wasn't long until a familiar feeling began to rise, and she knew she wasn't going to last much longer.

"Tahno, I'm going to—"

"Wait," He commanded, his voice a growl, and at last, his thrusts became rough, making her cry out. She held it for as long as she could, her fingernails making deep scratches on Tahno's back. He hissed in satisfaction and slammed into her one last time, before they let go in unison. His name was a prayer on Korra's lips, and he rested his forehead against her neck to catch his breath.

He pulled back after a while, and she looked up at him, feeling like a vulnerable mess. In a very rare display of affection, he smoothed his thumb along her cheekbone, looking at her with barely masked wonder. Her hands left his back, to cup his face. The overwhelming passion and need that had driven them had died down, and her kiss was affectionate and soft. She smiled at him, almost shyly, and he gathered her in his arms bridal style.

"Hey! Tahno, stop that! Put me down."

Tahno laughed lightly and continued on to the bedroom, where he set her down gently on the bed. He reached up to extinguish the candles that were still burning in the corner, but with a flick of her wrist, Korra plunged the room into darkness. "Come here." She said, her voice too alluring to be innocent. He cracked a smile and fumbled a little with the messed up blankets before he slipped into bed beside her.

She curled into his side automatically, pressing kisses over his chest, up his throat, and lastly to his lips. His tongue slid over hers and Korra moaned for what felt like the forty-sixth time that night. Resting her hands on his chest, she wriggled up beside him, and then swung one leg over his body to straddle him.

"Korra."

"Yes?" Her lips were against her neck, and her breath on his skin made him sigh.

"Are you sure you're up for round two?"

She smirked into the darkness. "I'm up for it if you are." Her hips rolled a little. "And you seem to be."

"You're very funny."

"I know." She leaned down to kiss him, and it began all over again.

* * *

The sun streamed bright patches of warmth onto the bed in the late morning, and Korra's face just so happened to be situated beneath one of them. She squinted her eyes open, trying to make sense of the unfamiliar world around her. A multitude of questions bounced from the walls of her mind. Why was it so light, if she was just waking up? Where was she? Whose arms were—

_Oh_.

Korra waited for the regret to plague her mind; she waited to be sick to her stomach at the thought of what she'd done with _Tahno_, of all people.

But nothing came.

His arms formed a circle around her waist, embracing her, and his chest acted as a makeshift pillow. Her head was in the perfect place to gaze up into his sleeping face, and he did so with a slight smile. She didn't know if she looked up at him for five or fifty minutes, but she couldn't take her eyes away from the innocent expression he wore while sleeping. For once, there was nothing smarmy or smug about the set of his mouth, and his eyes were closed peacefully, not gliding hungrily over her body.

She was roused from her staring when his arms pulled her closer in his sleep, and she looked back up to see him frowning. "_Uh-vatar_," he mumbled, making Korra scowl. So much for being innocent in your sleep, she thought. She was contemplating wriggling out of his grasp and getting dressed when he spoke again. "_Stay_." Her breath caught in her throat and she held it, scared to wake him. _"Please stay. Korra." _

She didn't know whether she should wake him or not.

"_Lesson's over. Don't go."_

He crushed her against him, and the breath wheezed out of Korra's lungs.

"Tahno." She slammed the flat of her palm against his chest. _"Tahno!"_

His eyes flew open and he stared at the ceiling for a moment, before apparently noticing he had someone in his arms and looking down at her. His arms loosened their death grip and she took a gulp of air.

She couldn't be sure with the sun in her eyes, but she wondered if she saw a faint red color tinge his cheeks.

"Hey." He said, his tone of voice unreadable. Korra suddenly felt awkward; should she kiss him good morning? Pull away and get dressed? She settled for staring up at him and repeating his greeting, well aware of the heat spreading across her own cheeks. He blinked at her with bleary eyes, and Korra's awkwardness was forgotten when she realized how disoriented he was from sleep. He looked down at his arms around her and frowned.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to crush you." He mumbled, "I was dreaming about…uh—" His eyes went wide and he looked away from her, seeming to be lost in thought.

"It's fine." She sighed contentedly, resting her cheek back on his chest. "You're not very…yourself this morning."

"Smug Tahno doesn't make an appearance until noon." He said, shifting his legs into a more comfortable position. Korra laughed at him and kissed his chin.

"Mmm." Tahno closed his eyes contentedly, his hands tracing patterns on her back. He peeked one eye open after a minute to find her staring at him. "I didn't say you could stop."

She arched a brow sarcastically and his answering smile looked suspiciously like a smirk.

"Is that a _smirk_? I thought…smug Tahno…didn't make…an appearance…" She murmured between the kisses she was placing over his jaw, "Until noon." She kissed him on the lips and looked up at the window, sighing at the warmth of the sun and the-

_The sun?_

"Spirits, what's the time?" She asked, her content feeling dissolving.

"I don't know. Sometime around ten? What happened to the kiss—"

"_Sometime around TEN?!"_ Korra wrenched herself out of his grasp, much to the protest of Tahno, and rolled over to scramble from bed. She was halfway out of bed when she realized how incredibly sore she was, and she sat back down with a moan of pain.

"What'd you _do_ to me? Oh, Spirits." Her inner thighs, her back and her hips were screaming at her, and she didn't even want to _think_ about the more intimate places.

"You don't remember? I can always give you a repeat performance…" He offered, laughing at his own joke.

"Not funny, Tahno. This _hurts_." She complained woefully, trying to move as little as possible to avoid the pain.

"So heal yourself." He said, as if the solution was the plainest thing in the world.

"_Heal_ myself?"

"I can do it for you, if you'd like…" His voice had taken on a sensual purr, "It can be quite an _enjoyable_ experience."

"No." She refused him adamantly, "I should already be on my way home. I can't even imagine what everyone's going to think when they see me getting in so late." She winced at the thought.

Tahno sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "Just lie. Tell them you had…errands or something." His gaze raked over her bare body, noting the teethmarks and bruises he'd left on her skin. "Or that you got into a fight. Neat way to explain all of that." He gestured to her chest and Korra looked down at herself, moaning woefully.

"What am I going to do? I can't lie to Tenzin, he'll see straight through me." Tahno pulled a pillow over his head, still foggy from sleep.

"Just say you slept in." He suggested, his voice muffled. "That's not lying." She thought for a moment, but she couldn't poke a hole in his logic, and the plan began to cheer her up a little.

"I'm gonna go heal myself." She made her way toward a door she figured led to his bathroom and he took the pillow from his face.

"Can I watch?"

"_No."_

It wasn't long before she came back, holding a fluffy white towel around her body. Tahno glared at the towel as if everything were its personal fault.

"Come back to bed, Korra." He wheedled, patting the rumpled covers beside him. Everything inside her was telling her to crawl back into the warmth of his arms, but instead she sighed.

"I can't. I have to go." Facing away from Tahno, she dropped the towel and gathered up the bandages for her breast bindings.

"Hey, Korra?" She turned around, raising her eyebrows expectantly. Instead of asking her a question, like she'd anticipated, Tahno simply let his eyes wander over her naked body. His lips curved and Korra realized what kind of move he'd just pulled. Without thinking about it, she threw her scrunched up bindings at his head and crossed her arms over her chest.

Tahno fingered the fabric softly, arching one slim brow. "Breast bindings?"

"Yeah." She rolled her eyes. "Have you _seen_ these things?" Tahno had to resist the overwhelming urge to laugh; only Korra would refer to her breasts as 'these things'.

"I've done more than just _see_ them." He thought back to the night before with a fond smile on his face.

"Whatever." She told herself that her face was hot because of the sun, and nothing more. "Can I have my underwear back now?" She reached her arms out to him, "I'm getting cold." Tahno's smirk grew and he balled up the bandages, hiding them behind his back.

"Tell you what, Avatar. I'll trade them for a kiss." She sighed gustily, irritated at him, but unable to resist how cute he was being. She pecked him quickly on the lips and held her arms out expectantly, but he shook his head. "That was _not_ a kiss."

Scooting across the bed, she straddled him in a familiar position, only the blankets separating their bare skin. Placing one hand on the side of his face, she leaned down to kiss him, softly at first. Her hands began to explore his chest as their tongues met, before her fingers trailed a pattern down his arm. Tahno's teeth nipped at her lip, trying to convince her to come back to bed, but her hands closed over the bindings a second later.

"Aha!" She pulled them from his grasp, smirking triumphantly. She scrambled off the bed and began to wind them around her chest in a procedure so familiar, she could do in her sleep.

"I feel very used." He pouted, but Korra was too busy searching the floor for the rest of her clothing to notice him.

"Where's my underwear?" She asked, arriving at the answer as soon as the question left her mouth. "Oh. Right." She walked out, making her way to the kitchen, and found them crumpled on the floor. She tugged them on, wincing, and chanced a glance out the window as she made her way back to his bedroom.

She stopped in her tracks, gazing with wonder at the beauty of the colors in the sky. "Tahno. Come here." She didn't move from where she was, and she felt, rather than saw, him come up behind her. She noted thankfully that he was wearing pants, as he placed a hand on either side of her waist.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Their eyes took in the colors that streamed through the sky in a curved line. The sun was bright and warm, streaming in through the windows and making the apartment feel like a whole other place.

"I guess this means the storm is over." She said, and the heavy feeling of letting go of something good crept up on her. She felt oddly despondent at the idea of the storm becoming a distant memory. Tahno made an affirmative noise, and planted a soft kiss on her shoulder.

"Tahno?"

"Hmm?"

"You know this can't happen again." She murmured, almost afraid to hear his response.

"I know." She felt a little hollow at the tone of his voice. This was the hard part. They could abandon everything and make love to each other during the storm; they could act upon their feelings until they tore each other apart, but the hard part was acknowledging that they had to move on with their lives as friends, and nothing more.

"Are things going to be weird between us now?"

"Not unless we make them." They stood in the same position, looking out at the cheery morning, until Korra broke the silence again.

"Tahno?"

"Yes, Korra?"

"You have to let go of me now." His hands loosened their grip a little, and she slowly turned in his embrace, her hands raising to trace the strong planes of his face. She leaned up to kiss him slowly, and it was a different kiss than any they'd shared. Korra tried to pour all of the things she was feeling into it, all the longing and pain and affection, and Tahno's hands stroked their way through her hair. It said everything she wanted to say, but couldn't.

It said _I'm sorry,_ it said _thankyou_, it said _I wish this didn't have to end._

Tahno was the one to break it, pulling back gently and smiling at her affectionately. A ray of piercing sunlight fell on their faces, making them squint, and the lovers stared out the window together; looking out upon the world they'd disengaged themselves from, only if for a night.

"Tahno?" She asked for the third and final time, feeling the sun bathe her in its warmth.

"Yes?" She wanted to thank him for helping her find the eye of the storm, but somehow she couldn't make it coherent in her head. She gazed at the rainbow for a long moment, before speaking.

"Just…thankyou."


End file.
